Godly Discontentment
()
About this ebook
But when it is the Lord who has something against the church, it is not a laughing matter, its time to tremble. However, as long as the love is more important than the disappointment, you can work out just about any problem between you. It is only when disappointment seems more important than love that relationship problems become toxic.
Michee Ferdinand
My experience within different communities have brought me to the conclusion that more light needs to be shed on our relation with God. As a pastor and teacher, led by the Holy Spirit, I feel the urge to spread the word of God to the world. The church nowadays has forsaken the first love. The main goal is to redirect our energy to the will of God.
Related to Godly Discontentment
Related ebooks
A Heart for God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUncharted Waters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShe Reigns: Conquering Your Triggers, Fears, and Worries with God's Truth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Cup of Sugar, Neighbor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGiving: Why and How Much Should I Be Giving to the Church and the Poor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhy Are People Afraid of Love? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ultimate Command: Relearning the Principles of Loving God, Others, and Yourself: 2Nd Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReal Faith Is Hard Work: Meandering Thoughts Along the Way Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Heart of Love: Learning to Love With Our All Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFalling in Love with Our Savior: A Bible Study on Deliverance and Being Set Free Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhere Are We Heading To? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 7th Church: Revealing The Final Church To The Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRoots: Growing Deeper in Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTRANSFORMATION: Living a Christian Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gift of the Self: A Theology and Liturgy for Living as a Generous Soul Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Great Love of God: Encountering God’s Heart for a Hostile World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Incomplete: Life Through the Eyes of a Small-Town Pastor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLove Changes Everything: Finding What's Real in a World Full of Fake Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinding Freedom and Joy in Self-Forgetfulness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorrisome Words: A Spiritual Study Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ultimate Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Being God’S Beloved: Forty Days of Reflections on God’S Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProverbs for the Politically Incorrect: The Word to the Wise: Volume 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Genius of One: God's Answer for Our Fractured World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fury of God: We Cannot Truly Understand God’S Love Until We Fully Understand His Fury Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Triumph of Beauty: God's Radiant Answer for the World's Growing Darkness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIntimate Friendship with God: Through Understanding the Fear of the Lord Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Those Who Are Wise Will Shine!: Understanding the Work of God in Your Redemption Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConnect: The Real Meaning of Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Fourth Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Godly Discontentment
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Godly Discontentment - Michee Ferdinand
Copyright © 2017 Michee Ferdinand.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV
and New International Version
are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
1 (866) 928-1240
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.
ISBN: 978-1-9736-0117-3 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-9736-0116-6 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-9736-0118-0 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017913885
WestBow Press rev. date: 09/12/2017
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1 Visualization
Chapter 2 Real theology affects practice
Chapter 3 Remember
Chapter 4 Repentance
Chapter 5 Return Your First Love Will Redirect Your Life
Chapter 6 What is the Measure of Our Individual Love for Him!
Chapter 7 Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 8 Carelessness leads to a loss of standards
Chapter 9 The true motive of all worship and service is missing.
Chapter 10 The Love That Defines Us
Chapter 11 Praise & Celebration
Bibliography
But I have this against you
That you have left your first love
Rev.2:4(NAS)
Worship our Heavenly Father is certainly the most important topic in all time.But when it is the Lord who has something against the Church, it is not a laughing matter, it’s time to tremble. However, As long as the love is more important than the disappointment, you can work out just about any problem between you. It is only when disappointment seems more important than love that relationship problems become toxic.
Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying,
Thus says the Lord, I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals, your following after Me in the wilderness, through a land not sown (Jer.2:2}NAS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
This project would have been impossible without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that God uses me through a book to write and emphasize the complaint about the unending love of God on you and me. God will never give up on trying to help you understand how deep His love for you is. I hope this book will be as much of a blessing for you to read as it has been for me to write. This book is not necessarily prescriptive. It is descriptive of the worship practices throughout the church age as related to our knowledge and our comprehension of the Word of God. I pray that you would understand how these truths can transform your walk with God as I struggled to embrace the peace that comes from the perfect love of God.
Special thanks to my wife Ramona, who I have learned to love and cherish through the stormy time. It wasn’t by accident that God brought you into my life during this special time
Also to my siblings other parents and friends. You all have a huge impact on my life and I love you. I never imagined in such occasion you would be an outstanding source of encouragement and comfort to me.
However, if you wish to be on good terms with God, and have his grace direct your life, and come to the joy of love, then fix this name Jesus
so firmly in your heart that he never leaves your thought.
For by the grace given me
I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself
more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself
with sober judgment,
in accordance with the faith
God has distributed to each of you.
(Rom 12:3 NIV)
FOREWORD
The World under the control of Satan is filled with many kind of philosophy empty imaginable deception. And people by the million are buying into this false system. The Great Deceiver is not satisfied with that, He is also after the believers’ minds. Knowing that He can’t interfere with our salvation because the ransom price has being paid in consideration of which we are set free. God secures our redemption by the payment of that ransom. He loved us, and He proved it by the purchase of our souls. The Bible explains it clearly, when we walk away from the will and the word of God, we walk toward death. I am referring to spiritual death. Our attitude displeases God badly … And what happened to our first love?
The leaders can’t take any higher morally, ethically than they’ve been themselves. The flock has been neglected. It involves the development of a daily discipline of studying the word, so they will be equip to lead the church. Therefore, lack of awareness makes us loose our identity. Anything that displeases, and saddens God catches our attention. It’s not a laughing matter at all. I would call it a disgrace.
God wants His children to have a revival in their hearts. He knows about our daily struggle with sin that’s why the Bible reminds us that we are saved by His grace. In spite of what the Lord had and continued doing for us we choose to walk in the darkness of the world. What happened to our first love?
The purpose of written this book is to pursue the believers to make an about-turn and go back to the Lord. The writer emphasized on the Lord discontentment and His expectation from his children. We have let Him down big time. The writer also explained how the believers had indulging themselves in many idolatries that made them failed our Heavenly Father. Repent! Stop crushing our Creator’s heart and His love will redirect you to the right way. Go back to the Old Practice, from there, you will be more focused, enjoyed the Peace and regained the perfect love that we only find in Jesus. Let one, and all get serious about our salvation, for it is later than we think. May our Merciful God Bless you tremendously, and show you the way to find His love.
Ramona M. Ferdinand
INTRODUCTION
Certain authors, speaking of their works, say, ‘my book,’ my commentary,’ ‘my history,’ etc. They resemble middle class people who have a house of their own, and always have ‘my house’ on their tongue. They would do better to say, ‘our book, ‘‘our commentary, our history," etc., because there is in them usually more of other people’s than their own. Pascal, Pensees, #43 (1)
All books have a viewpoint as the author is seeking to communicate an idea or story they care about or consider important. With the help of some evangelical authors and others, I have focused my attention on the complaint that brought into existence this book that raised the important issue of our modern and sophisticated lifestyle in our personal, family, community,social and specially church lifestyle.
In God we trust
What a powerful logo, certainly the world recognizes the importance of the preeminence of God in the life of our forefathers and our fathers. As we will see in the pages that follow the reason that justified the discontentment and the complaint of our heavenly father
This book is central to an understanding of spiritual personal, social and cultural life in the story of Christianity in America and all over the world. Surely this epistle has its lessons for us whether as a religious community or as individuals. Before we consider the complaint, let’s ask a question: what is all about?
The first love/ the best love (Agape)
"Whom else have I in the heavens? None beside you delights me on earth (Psa 73:25 NAB)" is the language of every heart, when its love of God is true in principle and supreme in degree.
Tragically, many forgeries are accepted by believers day after day and then sold to others in the Christian marketplace as authentic love or the will of God for us.